Quantitative tools for implementing the new definition of significant portion of the range in the U.S. Endangered Species Act

In 2014, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service announced a new policy interpretation for the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). According to the act, a species must be listed as threatened or endangered if it is determined to be threatened or endangered in a significant portion of its range (SPR). The 2014 policy seeks to provide consistency by establishing that a portion of the range should be considered significant if the associated individuals’ “removal would cause the entire species to become endangered or threatened.” We reviewed 20 quantitative techniques used to assess whether a portion of a species’ range is significant according to the new guidance. Our assessments are based on the 3R criteria—redundancy (i.e., buffering from catastrophe), resiliency (i.e., ability to withstand stochasticity), and representation (i.e., ability to evolve)—that the FWS uses to determine if a species merits listing. We identified data needs for each quantitative technique and considered which methods could be implemented given the data limitations typical of rare species. We also identified proxies for the 3Rs that may be used with limited data. To assess potential data availability, we evaluated 7 example species by accessing data in their species status assessments, which document all the information used during a listing decision. In all species, an SPR could be evaluated with at least one metric for each of the 3Rs robustly or with substantial assumptions. Resiliency assessments appeared most constrained by limited data, and many species lacked information on connectivity between subpopulations, genetic variation, and spatial variability in vital rates. These data gaps will likely make SPR assessments for species with complex life histories or that cross national boundaries difficult. Although we reviewed techniques for the ESA, other countries require identification of significant areas and could benefit from this research.     

Maize bushy stunt in native corn: implications for Mexican “subsistence farmers”

Native corn in Mexico can be affected by maize bushy stunt disease (MBS), which can negatively impact maize-farming operations. Maize bushy stunt symptoms in native corn were linked to the presence of phytoplasmas through molecular analysis of symptomatic native corn plants in Mexico. These findings motivated a socioeconomic characterization and identification of the management strategies developed by the “subsistence farmers” of those communities to answer the questions: What elements of farming affect the presence of MBS disease in “subsistence farmers” fields? What do “subsistence farmers” know about MBS disease and the pathogen associated with MBS disease? How best can MBS disease be managed in small farming communities in Mexico? Through face-to-face interviews with growers and the corresponding analyses of their responses, we identified a widespread lack of knowledge about MBS disease, its causal agent and its vector(s). This study highlighted factors useful to guide future management decisions and education programs, as well as further research to transmit information about MBS disease among “subsistence farmers” in rural communities in Mexico.     

Context-dependent evaluation of climate change policies: competing policies,knowledge and emotions

Climate change policies can compete with policies on other social and environmental problems for limited economic resources. This paper investigates the potential influence of alternative policies on citizens’ preferences for climate change policies. A contingent valuation study was implemented to estimate the impact of observable and unobservable contextual effects of competing polices on climate change valuation. Individuals are also investigated about their endowment of knowledge and emotional reactions to such problems. The results show that citizens’ valuation of climate change policies crucially depends on the context-dependent competing policies. The valuation rises as the number of competing policies increases. This increment becomes economically significant when the competing policies are related to specific problems such as forest fires and development. In addition, the valuation also rises with the amount of knowledge endowed by the individual about the climate change problem, and with the experience of negative emotions such as fear and sadness.     

The social dimension as a driver of sustainable development: the case of family farms in southeast Spain

The social pillar has often been treated as an ‘add on’ in sustainable development studies, and analyses of its ‘proactivity’ in economic, environmental, and social transformations to sustainability outcomes are scant. The present paper looks at the social dimension as a key driver of sustainable development. Social factors in the farming system in southeast Spain are analyzed to show how family farms and their networks can integrate socio-economic and eco-social goals, promoting the generation of synergies and trade-offs between the dimensions of sustainability. This study contributes to existing debate on the role of family farms in the framework of European rural development.     

The efficiency of the multi-walled carbon nanotubes used for antibiotics removal from wastewaters generated by animal farms

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In the recent years, residual antibiotics are considered to be emerging environmental pollutants due to their continuous input and persistence into...     

β-Estradiol and ethinyl-estradiol contamination in the rivers of the Carpathian Basin

17β-Estradiol (E2) and 17α-ethinyl estradiol (EE2), which are environmental estrogens, have been determined with LC-MS in freshwater. Their sensitive analysis needs derivatization and therefore is very hard to achieve in multiresidue screening. We analyzed samples from all the large and some small rivers (River Danube, Drava, Mur, Sava, Tisza, and Zala) of the Carpathian Basin and from Lake Balaton. Freshwater was extracted on solid phase and derivatized using dansyl chloride. Separation was performed on a Kinetex XB-C18 column. Detection was achieved with a benchtop orbitrap mass spectrometer using targeted MS analysis for quantification. Limits of quantification were 0.05 ng/L (MS1) and 0.1 ng/L (MS/MS) for E2, and 0.001 ng/L (MS1) and 0.2 ng/L (MS/MS) for EE2. River samples contained n.d.–5.2 ng/L E2 and n.d.–0.68 ng/L EE2. Average levels of E2 and EE2 were 0.61 and 0.084 ng/L, respectively, in rivers, water courses, and Lake Balaton together, but not counting city canal water. EE2 was less abundant, but it was still present in almost all of the samples. In beach water samples from Lake Balaton, we measured 0.076–0.233 E2 and n.d.–0.133 EE2. A relative high amount of EE2 was found in river Zala (0.68 ng/L) and in Hévíz-Páhoki canal (0.52 ng/L), which are both in the catchment area of Lake Balaton (Hungary).